European Centre for Electoral Support
Professional services
UnclaimedAn independent Belgian foundation that provides electoral, democracy-support, conflict-prevention and institutional-capacity services internationally.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) is a Brussels-based, not-for-profit, private, non-partisan and independent foundation focused on electoral assistance and wider democracy support. It was created at the end of 2010 on the initiative of electoral specialist Fabio Bargiacchi, who brought together Abbot Apollinaire Muholongu Malu Malu and other practitioners, including Monica Frassoni, to help the European Union and its member states work with partner countries on electoral matters. The organization developed from experience gained in international electoral assistance, election observation, democratic governance and conflict prevention. ECES works globally, although much of its activity has taken place in Africa and the Middle East. Its work has included advice to electoral management bodies, electoral-cycle planning, political dialogue, mediation, civic and voter education, election-security analysis, media monitoring, logistics, procurement, ballot-paper design, results transmission and institutional communication. It also manages or contributes to donor-funded programs intended to strengthen electoral integrity, reduce election-related violence and improve the participation of civil society, women and other political stakeholders. The foundation’s principal funding base has come from the European Union and European governments, including Germany, Italy, France, Denmark, Ireland, Austria and Luxembourg. It has also cooperated with other public and international donors. ECES has implemented activities in more than 50 countries and has collaborated with organizations and networks including the African Union, ECOWAS, the United Nations Development Programme, International IDEA, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Organization of American States and regional electoral bodies. It is also associated with European peacebuilding and civil-society networks. A defining feature of ECES is its European Response to the Electoral Cycle Support approach, known as EURECS. This framework combines technical electoral assistance with political dialogue, conflict sensitivity, institutional development and prevention of election-related violence. ECES has developed associated methodologies and tools covering electoral political-economy analysis, leadership and conflict management, electoral-security threat assessment, quality management, mediation, media monitoring, early warning and strategic planning. Its technology-related work includes applications and systems for distance learning, electoral translation, polling-station allocation, poll-worker management, results aggregation, voter-list digitization and social-media monitoring. The organization has pursued quality and compliance systems through TRACE and ISO 9001 certifications for financial and quality management. In 2020 it created a strategic and advisory committee chaired by Joëlle Milquet, with senior figures from European, African and Jordanian public institutions among its members. ECES has also supported professional learning through partnerships involving the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, including work connected with the Master on Electoral Policy and Administration. Its profile increased through programs such as EU support for democratic governance in Nigeria, electoral assistance in Libya, Jordan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Sudan and several African states, and the European Resources for Mediation Support project. In 2020, its EURECS approach, including work in Ethiopia on preventing and mitigating electoral conflict, was selected among the projects recognized by the Paris Peace Forum. In 2021 ECES and the African Union signed a memorandum of understanding covering electoral integrity, prevention of electoral conflict, human rights and women’s political participation. In 2023 ECES and its founder received recognition from African electoral authorities and the Southern African Development Community’s Electoral Commissions Forum for their contributions to electoral processes and capacity development.
History
ECES was established in Brussels at the end of 2010 by Fabio Bargiacchi and a group of electoral and democracy-support practitioners. Bargiacchi had worked with international development institutions, including the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme, and had coordinated the EC–UNDP Joint Task Force on electoral assistance. Abbot Apollinaire Muholongu Malu Malu became the foundation’s first president, serving until 2013. Monica Frassoni subsequently became president, while Bargiacchi continued as executive director and a member of the management board. The foundation began implementing activities in early 2012, including electoral coaching and distance-learning work for electoral management bodies in Central Africa. It then supported elections in Libya with European Union funding and expanded its portfolio across Africa, the Middle East and other regions. Its work grew into a broad electoral-cycle model rather than a narrow election-day service, covering institutional planning, stakeholder dialogue, conflict prevention, media, logistics, technology, civic education and post-election processes. ECES’s EURECS approach became the organizing framework for much of this work. The model seeks to adapt European electoral-assistance practice to local political and institutional conditions while combining technical advice with mediation, early warning and violence prevention. ECES also created a set of training curricula, analytical methods, operating procedures and digital tools for electoral administrators, civil-society organizations and other stakeholders. During the 2010s and early 2020s, ECES participated in projects in more than 50 countries. Examples include electoral and democratic-governance programs in Nigeria, Jordan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Libya, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Comoros, Madagascar, Gabon, Zanzibar and Southern Africa. It also worked with continental and regional bodies, including the African Union and electoral networks linked to ECOWAS and SADC. In September 2020, ECES created a strategic and advisory committee chaired by Joëlle Milquet. Its international partnerships expanded through cooperation with the African Union, academic institutions and mediation-support initiatives. The Paris Peace Forum’s 2020 selection of EURECS highlighted the organization’s conflict-prevention orientation. In 2021 ECES formalized cooperation with the African Union in areas including electoral integrity, human rights and women’s participation. In 2023, African electoral organizations recognized ECES and its leadership for long-term support to electoral commissions and innovative capacity-development programs.
- 2023
Recognition from African electoral networks
[1]ECES and Fabio Bargiacchi received awards connected with the Association of African Electoral Authorities and the SADC Electoral Commissions Forum.
- 2021
Memorandum with the African Union
[1]ECES and the African Union agreed to cooperate on electoral integrity, conflict prevention, human rights and women’s political participation.
- 2020
Strategic and advisory committee created
[1]ECES established a committee chaired by Joëlle Milquet to provide strategic and advisory guidance.
- 2020
EURECS recognized by the Paris Peace Forum
[1]EURECS was selected among the forum’s recognized projects and received tailored mentoring and advisory support.
- 2012
Initial electoral-management training activities
[1]ECES began implementing electoral coaching and face-to-face and distance-learning activities for Central African electoral management bodies.
- 2012
Electoral support in Libya
[1]The organization implemented a European Union-funded project supporting elections in Libya.
- 2010
Foundation established
[1]ECES was created in Brussels as an independent, non-partisan and not-for-profit foundation focused on electoral cooperation and democracy support.
Products and positioning
A non-profit, European-oriented electoral assistance organization combining technical election support with democratic governance, mediation, conflict prevention and institutional capacity building.
Electoral assistance framework
EURECS
European Response to the Electoral Cycle Support is ECES’s principal copyrighted approach. It integrates electoral advice, institutional capacity building, political dialogue, conflict prevention, mediation, communications and technology across the full electoral cycle.
Distance-learning and capacity development
Innov-Elections
A flexible training and learning offer designed to deliver electoral-capacity development through online and blended methods for electoral officials and other stakeholders.
Election technology
Electoral technology applications
ECES develops or deploys digital tools supporting electoral administration, including polling-station allocation, poll-worker management, results aggregation, voter-list digitization, electoral translation and social-media monitoring and early warning.
Marketing campaigns
- Preventing, Mitigating and Managing Election-Related Conflict and Potential Violence
Ethiopia · South Africa · Madagascar · SADC countries
A family of programs using analysis, early warning, dialogue and institutional support to reduce election-related tensions and violence.
Outcome. Implemented across several African contexts; specific aggregate outcomes are not stated in the reference material.
- EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria
Nigeria
A democracy-support program implemented with European Union backing and focused on strengthening democratic and electoral institutions.
- European Resources for Mediation Support
Europe · Global
A consortium project intended to provide the European Union with methods and resources for mediation and dialogue.
Brand decisions
2021
Electoral-integrity cooperation with the African UnionOtherBackground
ECES sought to deepen cooperation with continental African institutions on electoral and democratic governance.
Action taken
ECES and the African Union signed a memorandum covering electoral integrity, conflict prevention, human rights and women’s political participation.
Aftermath
The memorandum established a framework for collaboration in these fields; subsequent quantified results are not provided.
2020
Formalization of strategic advisory governanceStrategyBackground
As ECES expanded its international electoral and democracy-support portfolio, it created a strategic and advisory committee.
Action taken
The committee was established under the chairmanship of Joëlle Milquet, with international electoral, diplomatic and political experts involved.
Aftermath
The change provided a formal structure for senior-level strategic advice; detailed operational effects are not specified.
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